Many of them congregate around the Mall, the White House, and federal buildings in the winter because the street has massive grates pumping out warm
air out of federal buildings. It is soul crushingly sad.

Well, I can tell you they should be outraged and asking for more money I mean donations, after all did our nations government bailout the
filthy wealthy banks at the expenses of tax payers in the nation? hell can you imagine what 700 billion dollars can do to bring jobs and a
decent home to the jobless and destitute.

Hell how about the trillions already wasted to prop the dying markets.

Some of these people can't help their cituation. But most definately can.

Im a firm believer that everybody gets at least one chance in life. Whatever you do with that chance is up to you. So if im expected to feel bad about
people living on the street then im honestly sorry that i dont.

My first job was pushing buggies at a local grocery store. A man with a cardboard sign woulf sit on the exit of the interstate. You know the "will
work for food" sign. right. Anyway all these people would feel sorry for this man and give him money. They didnt get to see what i got to. After
this man sat on the corner for a few hours he would come over to our deli and order some lunch. He would then proceed to pull an enormus wad of cash
out of his pocket and pay. He then asked to clerk to make change for him. 1s to 20s, 20s to 100s. the man made more begging on the corner in one day
than i made in two weeks pushing those damn buggies. He would then leave and get into his fairly new Lexus and proceed to drive home.

If you think those pics above are bad, just look at the people of Iraq. They literally live in mud huts (most in the northern side) and throw rocks at
us, now thats something they wont show on the news

Originally posted by sisgood
If everyone simply did what we used to before welfare, everyone would be alright. Back then, everyone took care of each other. If your neighbor's
house burned down, you invited him to stay with you.

Some of us still do this.

Not a week goes by that I don't have some homeless person or two crashing on my couch. Due to my Lease Agreement, I can't let anyone stay longer
than 2 weeks a year, so I just rotate through friends of friends who are homeless. My friends do the same, and we just shuffle our homeless friends
from one couch to another, trading who we are putting up.

Giving those more unfortunate than we a safe, dry, warm place to stay, a hot shower, food, and internet access. It doesn't cost me anything to let
someone crash on my couch and use my shower or internet. As for food, it's cheaper cooking for two than it is cooking for one (and easier too).

I've been almost homeless after being unemployed for 13 months. When my Savings ran out, I thought I was done for and would have to turn to having my
young daughter panhandle while holding a puppy. I was lucky to finally get a good paying job at the 11th Hour right before I had to hit the streets.
Having come that close was close enough for me to learn to be more sympathetic towards those that don't chose that lifestyle but are victims of
unemployment. Personally, I don't know many people who keep 13 months of Savings to remain self-sufficient as I did...most people I know live
Paycheck to Paycheck and are 2 weeks away from homelessness.

However, it doesn't behoove me to give even a stranger or a beggar pocket change. The only time I turned down giving a beggar some change was when he
was counting the 300 Gold Coins he had. Clearly he didn't need any financial help so I passed him up. But I agree that if one truly wants to help
someone in need, giving them your spare change isn't going to truly help them. You have to be willing to help them as much as you would a neighbor,
and help them help themselves by providing what they need to get employed (and a shower and internet access, and maybe a clean shirt are the best ways
to do that).

As more and more people, especially in the Middle Classes, become homeless in America, we need to come together as communities and help our neighbors
out rather than casting judgment on them. Homelessness by circumstance shouldn't carry the stigma that it has since the Economic High Times of the
1980s.

I think homeless people are just lazy or stupid. in either case it is their own fault. No one forced them to become homeless. They chose it.

My friend fell upon some hard times and is currently living with friends or occasionally with me. So if your homeless what kind of piece of dirt must
you have been that not even friends or family are willing to take care of you?

What I find ironic though is that those who preach love will hate me for my opinion.

Are there exceptions to every rule? Yup. I am always willing to bet homeless people got stuck their because of their own choices. Sorry for those
who truly do have bad luck, but it is not my duty to find you.

I think I'll just sum up a few of the posts with "Never judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes."

I've been homeless. I've lived in vehicles, mostly, but, there were a few stairwell nights.
I'm not homeless now. I am unemployed, though...on purpose. I'm a stay-at-home dad with a child with Cerebral Palsy (Spastic Dysplasia)
The reasons I was homeless were strictly my fault. I got tired of it (being homeless), got a job and pulled my ass out of the muck.
Now, my fully finished/furnished basement, every winter, has a homeless friend in it. We invite him to our diinner meal so we know he gets at least
one good, hot meal a day. I help him get a job, make sure he gets transportation problems solved. I help him get the hell out of a buddies basement
and into his own place. Usually, by spring, the person is ready to get out there and get at 'em. Fed, clean and productive again. Next winter,
another friend will get some help.
Not to toot my own horn, but, me and the ole Lady are flippin cool like that.
Do I bitch about homeless people, hell yeah. Ultimately it's the person's lack of preparedness that gets them into a tent down by the river.
However, I back that up with actions I can take to do something about it.

People with freewill and a sense of responsibility are capable of getting out of the situation. Lazy, good-for-nuthins will keep milking what they
can from sympathy and welfare and never pick themselves up.

Don't rely on our Government to help. The second-class citizens are shoved aside. The first-class citizens tend to look around them and can only
remark how it affects them (aesthetically, like wind farms) or they find a way to exploit them. The only way out is just getting out of the mire your
in. Work. Save. Live.

this is the American dream?, the results of unfettered Capitalism. It's broken, these people arn't lazy or stupid they are victims of a financial
crisis. You think there's many bankers loosing their homes? They are the guys who got us into this situation. the lack of sympathy for your fellow
citizens is sad. Britain may not be great, but we dont blame the poor for being poor like you in the USA.

you are a perfect example. you were homeless and you took responsibilities for your actions that put you their and now you own your own house and i
assume live comfortably. if you can do it why not every other homeless?

Every homeless person can remedy their situation they just dont have the will to do it.

Originally posted by Doc Tesla
I think homeless people are just lazy or stupid. in either case it is their own fault. No one forced them to become homeless. They chose it.

My friend fell upon some hard times and is currently living with friends or occasionally with me. So if your homeless what kind of piece of dirt must
you have been that not even friends or family are willing to take care of you?

Like jd said. if they want jobs they can get them

Yes, because every person on Earth is JUST AS LUCKY AS YOU.

Seriously, the ignorance displayed in this thread by some members is truly astounding, I'm assuming that they're all just kids, but something scary
tells me these are (supposedly educated) adults having such opinions.

Did you stop to consider that maybe they don't want to intrude on friends and family? Did you think for a second that maybe they feel too ashamed and
embarrassed?
Such shame comes from the arrogant opinions of people such as yourself, unable to put yourself in any other persons shoes for one second, unable to
show compassion for others because of the security of your own little bubble.

Let me say from experience, when you are living is such poverty, trying desperately to make ends meet, the LAST THING most people want to do is turn
to family. It makes you feel like a failure, even though the situation could have come from the breakup of a relationship, the loss of a job, mental
breakdown...

And of course, your assertion of "go get a job" is spot on

Did you notice the economic crisis from your home under that rock?
Do you know how hard it is to get a job without an address? It's almost impossible to get a job without a phone!

Seriously, it may be cruel to say it, but I really do hope all those with such a disgusting attitude to others end up in this situation. Maybe that's
what it would take to instil some compassion and understanding in you people?

But you know what? Even if it is you I see on the street next week begging for a helping hand or comforting chat, I'll still do it. Because I
actually don't have a heart of stone, I actually am able to recognise Human suffering and feel some constructive emotion. I don't see others as
different species at my convenience, just to make me feel less guilty.

Some of you need to get an education, get out of your house and see the world. Even see your own country. So many of you are completely oblivious to
reality, and I fear that has disconnected you from humanity.
So much so that you cannot feel compassion for another Human when you know nothing about what happened to them.

better get used to seeing homeless folks cause it's only going to get worse...

Nearly 1 million homes nationwide are in the process of foreclosure as you read this, according to a report Wednesday from the U.S. Department of the
Treasury... As of June 30, there were 992,554 homes in the process of foreclosure, up 15.3 percent from March 31 and up 79.4 percent from the same
period a year ago and before the year is out we could see 3 million foreclosures... figure that the average American family is mom dad and 2.5 kids...
do the math and that will give the anticipated number of new homeless to add to the total...

If I could applaud you I would. I don't live where the homeless congregate and (as a girl) it would be dangerous for me to take a stranger into my
home. I (as I've seen what most will spend it on) do not give homeless money. I do, however, always have a bag of food, toiletries and water in my
car to give out.

I also give as much money as I can to the ministry that I worked at. I know they do everything they can to help.

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